


The Dancing Demon

by Krasimer



Series: You've Got To Just Believe (Can I Get An Amen) [1]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: And Joey realizes how much he likes Henry, Dancing, Dancing Lessons, Forgets that there is an entire music department, Gay For You, Gay Panic, Happy, Henry is a bit silly, Henry is going to his sister's wedding, Henry-centric, Joey does though, Joey panics, M/M, POV Henry, also, he does not know how, he needs to know how to dance, more like implied pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 10:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12297549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krasimer/pseuds/Krasimer
Summary: “I mean, I need to spend extra hours here to get the work done before the wedding, can’t really go out and take lessons. Especially not with how much it would cost, I mean- You pay good money and all, but lessons areexpensiveand I can’t justify the cost in my budget.” He gestured to a book that was laying on the ground. “So I figured it would be easy enough to learn from that.”Joey’s eyes moved from Henry to the book and back again. “Let me try that again. You’re practicing alone in asilentroom when we have anentire music departmentdown the hall?”





	The Dancing Demon

“And one and two and three – Dang it!” Henry sighed and leaned against the wall, covering his face with his hands.

“…Henry?” Joey’s voice was sudden, echoing and loud, in the previously quiet room. “Everything alright?” he was peeking around the door, one hand on each side of the frame as if he’d been walking past and had turned on his heel, nearly falling over. “You sound frustrated.”

“I…You know how I’m taking off this weekend, to my sister’s wedding?” Henry looked up at Joey, an expression of embarrassed misery on his face.

“Yeah?”

“My mom says she has a date waiting to join me at the wedding, so I need to know how to dance.”

“Oh,” Joey blinked a couple of times, chewing the inside of his bottom lip as he adjusted his position in the doorway. “So, you’re practicing in an empty room without music?”

“Best solution I have,” Henry shrugged one shoulder. “I mean, I need to spend extra hours here to get the work done before the wedding, can’t really go out and take lessons. Especially not with how much it would cost, I mean- You pay good money and all, but lessons are _expensive_ and I can’t justify the cost in my budget.” He gestured to a book that was laying on the ground. “So I figured it would be easy enough to learn from that.”

Joey’s eyes moved from Henry to the book and back again. “Let me try that again. You’re practicing alone in a _silent_ room when we have an _entire music department_ down the hall?”

“Wait, what?”

“Wait here, Henry,” Joey pointed at him and walked off.

Henry curled in on himself, leaning back against the wall. To his relief, when Joey returned, it wasn’t with Sammy Lawrence and his banjo. Instead, it was one of the small record players he kept in his office, rolling it down the hall on the cart they usually used to move the glass panes that were used for animating. “Here,” Joey stopped just outside the door and gathered the record player into his arms, heading for the corner. “Dancing is learned better when you have music to practice to, Henry.”

“Well, I knew that. It’s just…”

“Music department, Henry,” Joey looked over his shoulder and up at Henry, an almost frown on his face. “And do you really think I’d force you to learn something that complicated in silence? Just tell me next time and I’ll make Sammy deal with having to score his music in his office instead of in the recording studio. He should be doing it there anyway, but he says he is more ‘inspired’ by the sight of the recording room.”

“I don’t want to make things complicated for everyone, bad enough I’m going away for a week as it is.” Henry watched as Joey froze and stood up slowly.

“Henry,” Joey walked back over to him, putting his hands on his shoulders. “It’s your baby sister’s wedding. It’s not an awful thing to want to go see her getting married. You’re already pushing yourself to get so much done before you leave, no one besides…Well, probably Sammy…No one is upset at you going. Not me, not any of the others. Except, again, Sammy. If he tries to change a scene one more time because he ‘wants it to fit the majesty of his music’ again, he can just suffer with it quietly.”

“Joey…” Henry laughed a little, covering his mouth with one hand as he looked at his friend.

“Now!” Joey laughed as well. “You need to learn how not to look like a newborn horse and possibly impress a new lady friend! On your feet, my good Henry, no time to waste!”

He turned back and started the music, something Sammy had scored and recorded for a scene of Bendy himself dancing. Once back with Henry, he offered his hand. “I’ll start in the lead, alright? Show you how to move your feet and how to keep everything smooth. Once you’ve got it figured out, we’ll switch and you can dance me around the room. You learn quick, I know you can do this.”

Henry took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright.”

“And…One, two, three,” Joey started moving slowly, tapping the sides of Henry’s feet with his own. “Pay attention to where your feet are, don’t think she’ll be impressed if you step on and break her toes. And-” he twirled Henry gently, laughing at the man’s flustered reaction. “Got to learn to do that, Henry. It always impresses, both the lady you’re dancing with and the people watching.”

Henry’s grip returned to his arm, his entire face flushed red. “Joey…”

“Sorry, sorry, not going to try and embarrass you again,” Joey kept moving slowly. “You’re an animator and you work to music sometimes. Just imagine it as one of the dances you have to animate. Pretend you’re Bendy. Or Boris, if that works better for you. Either way, just remember to move smoothly and almost fluidly, like the characters you bring to life on the screen.”

He looked down at their feet and smiled. “Looks like you’re getting it now, good job!”

“Thanks,” Henry grinned at him. “I’m still not entirely sure what it is I’m doing, but at least I haven’t stepped on you yet.”

“Also a plus,” Joey nodded.

With an odd look on his face, Joey shifted his stance and dipped Henry down. One of Henry’s legs came off the floor in an attempt to balance himself and his hands tightened around Joey, his glasses shifting up and off his cheeks a little. “This is…Also a good way of impressing someone,” Joey swallowed, suddenly seeming nervous. “Women love being danced with in a way that proves how strong you are. And you’ve got,” he jolted a little, pulling Henry back up and onto both feet. “You’ve got arm muscles that’ll impress any gal.”

He drew back suddenly, putting space between the two of them. “I’ve got someone I needed to talk to,” he said quietly, blinking a couple of times before he started walking quickly towards the door.

“Joey-”

“Practice a bit more on your own,” Joey urged him as his heel disappeared around the door. “I’ll come back to help you again tomorrow. Leave the record player in there!”

Henry was left standing alone in the room, fiddling with his hands. “But I like dancing with you…”

**Author's Note:**

> I am a fandom magpie and I regret nothing.
> 
> Also: GDI Joey, contain your panic and go back to dance with your guy. Henry likes dancing with you, go learn swing dancing together.


End file.
